Quote: nohalfbacks "I can't go along with all this 'yeah but we didn't have any halfbacks malarkey'. Ok Saints were without two recognised creative halfbacks but my point is that even with the halfbacks that were on the field the passing options were terrible. There were several times when Saints had a clear overlap and not once did they pass out wide. That just needed a pass instead of turning it back inside. It didn't need anything special from a recognised half back. I can't make my mind up whether it was just poor reads from the players or whether it was the game plan. If it was the latter then Saints are well rid of Brown and will be a better team for it no matter who takes over.
Nobody can fault Saints determination to win and for that they can be happy with the result. Wigan had chances to win even with a man down but they didn't take them and so can have no complaints overall. The sending off didn't help but that was not reason Matty Bowen took the wrong option not to pass to Charnley in the second half or why Smith missed a kickable goal.'"
Are you implying that on the two occasions that Flanagan ignored two and three men overlaps out wide and came back inside, thereby blowing an easy 8 points, he did so because of the 'gameplan' and not because he's a back rower being asked to play at halfback ?
Is that what you're really trying to imply ? Had Saints had Walsh and Hohaia at 6 and 7 after Flower walked, they'd have ran up 40 points. The idea that having Flanagan, Wellens and Turner in the pivot positions didn't significantly impact St Helens is laughable.